after years of making my volvo dealer guy rich, SEE my recent discussion posting today “my 1999 volvo s80 timing belt failed,” will I be doing the same with an acura dealer?
Wow! You must really have loved that Volvo. Either that or you don’t know any better.
I can’t speak for the newer Acuras, but my '97 Acura CL (purchased used in '98) has been 100% trouble free so far. I follow the maintenance schedule in the owner’s manual and take the car to an independent mechanic.
The timing belt was replaced on schedule, and I had a new water pump installed at the same time. I consider these things maintenance, not repair. Other than oil changes, filters, spark plugs, brakes and tires (all normal maintenance), nothing else has required any work.
My records indicate that I’ve never spent $1,000 in any one year to maintain the car. Some years the cost has been under $200.
I don’t think it gets much better than that.
Having said that, buying a used car always entails a certain amount of risk. There is no such thing as a perfect car. Check Consumer Reports for more reliability information on the TL.
There are certain models which statistically have less need for repairs. However, when you buy a used car, you are at the mercy of the background of that individual used car.
Lack of maintenance, or being in a flood, or something like that can cause you to get stuck with a piece of junk. There is a service which lets you check for serious problems, such as wreck or serious damage. Someone else can tell you what that service is called.
In general, one should try to get a used car inspected by a good mechanic. My personal view is if the dealer does not want you to do that perhaps you should move on. They will tell you it is not necessary, they have a short warranty. You aren’t buying a good used car for 90 days or 12 months.
I think you can do really well with an Acura TL. In reality they are glorified Honda Accords which mechanics all over the place work on everyday due to popularity.
If you find a good independent shop you will do far better financially than the dealer. They even have Honda/Acura specialized independent shops but the cars are not really that sophisticated.
We have an 08 and has been just fine. Same car. What I would suggest though is due to the high resale value to look at new instead. Long warranty, good rates right now, and no question of the history of the car.